Page 2 of The Journey That Never Ends

“What are you talking about?” Elana sighed.

Her father gave her a stern look. “We want you to go over to Grandma’s and talk her into going into an assisted living facility. She’ll take it better if you address it.” He walked around the desk and handed her some formal documents. “You also need to talk her into signing these papers.”

She examined the papers and then looked up at him. “This document gives you power of attorney over all her finances.”

He nodded and sat back down in his chair. “She needs someone responsible to watchover her money. For the past few months, she has been sending big amounts to someone online. I fear her judgment is slipping.”

Brianna stood up and scowled. “She’s going to give all her money away, and there won’t be any inheritance for us.” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking very much like an impudent child.

Elana eased into a nearby chair. “I don’t know. I didn’t get the idea that her judgment was impaired the last time I saw her. I’m sure there is a reasonable answer to all of this.”

Elizabeth snorted. “I think she’s getting catfished.”

Her mother handed her father a cup of tea. “Catfished? What is that?” She gave her daughter a baffled look.

“Catfishing is where someone pretends to be a different person online than they are in real life. The goal is to make the victim fall in love with the catfish. Once they have their trust, they talk them into sending them money.”

Her mother pressed a polished hand to her chest. “Oh my. That sounds serious.”

Her father staredat Elana. “Which is why we need to get a power of attorney to stop her from sending all her money to a stranger. Do you understand the seriousness of this now?”

Elana nodded and took a sip of her tea. The liquid turned bitter in her stomach. “I’ll go over today and talk to her.”

Her father beamed. “Good girl. I knew I could count on you.”

The idea of having to tell Grandma Cecilia she needed to give up her independence was almost more than she could bear.

Setting her tea down, she gathered her purse. “I think I’ll go over to her house now. The sooner this conversation is over, the better.”

CHAPTER2

Elana hated to be the one to talk to hergrandmotherabout the assisted living. She wished there was another way, but if what her parents were saying was true, Grandma Cecilia needed to be protected.

Her heart ached as she turned into the circular driveway of hergrandmother’shome. She parked and got out of her car.

Unlike her parents’ mansion, hergrandmother’shome was modest. It was the same home she and her late husband had bought years ago when they were just starting out. Grandma Cecilia once told her she did not need to impress someone with a new house. She liked her house just fine and didn’t care what anyone else thought.

Grandma Cecilia had been widowed for over thirty-two years. Hergrandfatherhad died of a massive heart attack before Elana was born.

Her father had told her that after his father had died, Grandma Cecilia had thrown her time and attention into her fledging business of fishing lures, tackle, and equipment. She turned it into amultimillion-dollar venture over the years.

Grandma Cecilia was as astutea businesswomanas Elana had ever seen.

Elana studied the house. She wondered… if Grandma Cecilia moved into assisted living, would the house be sold?

Walking up to the door, Elana blinked back the sting of tears.

She pressed her finger to the doorbell and waited while the sounds spilled through the house.

Anna flung open the door, and she looked relieved.

“Elana, it’s you. I thought it might be…”

Elana cocked her head. “My father?”

Anna nodded nervously. “Yes.”She stepped back to let her in. “Please come in.”

Anna had been with Grandma Cecilia for the past twenty years. She was the same age as Elana’s mother, but you would never know. Anna didn’t try to color her gray hair nor did she visit the plastic surgeron yearly like her mother did. Anna might appear her actual age, but Elana thought her more beautiful than her mother.

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